Identification:
The Eastern Hemlock needles are dark green then silver on the bottom. The hemlock’s trunk is 1-3 feet in diameter. The Hemlock’s cones are ovoid shaped.The needles are 5/16 to 9/16 of an inch. The needles are attached with slender stalks and are flat rather than appearing spiral on the branch.
Niche:
Energy Role
The Eastern Hemlock is a producer. It takes the sun's energy and turns that energy into food for other organisms. White-tailed deer eat the vegetation of the tree (the leaves). Mammals like mice, voles, and squirrels, eat the seeds.The Eastern Hemlock also provides food for the Eastern Cottontail Rabbits; they may eat the twigs.
Sources:
http://www.nps.gov/shen/naturescience/eastern_hemlock.htm
http://www.kentuckyawake.org/Eastern_Hemlock